


Just Keep Swimming

by Vanamiya



Category: Dragon Age II
Genre: M/M, mermaid au, or more like mermen, rating is for the last chapter, there will be kinky mermaid sex, they're both mermaids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-18
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-21 09:35:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6046756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanamiya/pseuds/Vanamiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first time Anders saw him, it was just a glimpse. The tip of a glowing tail, gone as quickly as it had appeared, vanishing into the deep.</p><p>In which Anders and Fenris are both creatures of the sea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt - it's always a prompt these days jfc - was "fish". I... took a few liberties with that prompt I guess. :D
> 
> So, an Au where we don't have only one but two beautiful mermen! I have no idea what came over me while writing this. I hope you will like it!

The first time Anders saw him, it was just a glimpse. The tip of a glowing tail, gone as quickly as it had appeared, vanishing into the deep. He had been out, looking for healing supplies and food, things a healer living in hiding always needed, be it for himself or for poor unfortunate souls that got bitten by a shark and couldn’t get help from anywhere else.  
  
He had seen something shiny in the corner of his eye and – unable to resist the temptation of everything that sparkled and glowed – he had approached it. Just over the edge of a chasm that led into the deep sea, where no merfolk would ever be caught dead. He didn’t get a good look at it but he knew that he hadn’t been mistaken. This HAD been the fin of a mer, not a fish.  
  
There were rumors about mermen and mermaids living in the deep. They were said to be different, with big, finlike ears and just as big shiny eyes that could see even in absolute darkness. They glowed. And they were dangerous, feral even, so no one wanted to approach them. Those who survived encounters always spoke fearfully of them. Anders had stared into the darkness for quite a while, frightened but also intrigued. It wasn’t like he was helpless. He was a mermage. He could summon currents and create air bubbles from nothing. He turned water into ice and healed wounds. He was just as much a shunned creature. It made him wonder if the tales told by spiteful merfolk were just as full of lies as when they spoke about his kind. As if he even wanted the sea throne. Sitting in a hard chair all day until your fin hurt sounded incredibly boring.  
  
The second time he saw him, it was in the kelp forest. Sunlight filtered in from the world above, meeting almost translucent leaves and bathing everything in an ethereal green light. And yet, Anders did not miss the movement and white lines snaking along a dark fin. He followed it, careful not to come too close. It wasn’t easy to make out through the kelp, but he got a better glance this time. Brown skin and an almost black tail. White hair. Anders didn’t see the face but he did see that the mer was male. A deep sea merman. He really did have long ears. They twitched and suddenly, he was gone.  
  
Anders’ eyes widened and before he could even think about what he was doing here, he gave chase. Through rows and rows of sea weed and sunlight that became more and more sparse until even the last bit was swallowed by green and he had to fight his way through. Through the thicket, he saw nothing and cursed his own impulsiveness. He had most certainly lost him. What a shame. Anders sighed and turned around.  
  
Green eyes, a shade more intense than even the kelp around them, stared at him.  
  
Anders screamed. A high pitched shriek that was, in all honesty, the unmanliest and shrillest noise he had ever made. He swam backwards, backwards and then up, up, until he reached the surface, breaking through the crown of green. He took a deep breath and coughed. The transition from gills to lungs was always a little painful. He stared down at the water. The stories of survivors had always talked about swimming as close to the surface as possible to escape because the deep sea creatures didn’t like being so far up. For all his curiosity, actually being faced with that glowing merman had been a shock. And he hadn’t looked very friendly, either. His admittedly handsome features had been set in a deep frown. Anders swore not to get distracted by the glow again and stay away from now on. Finding out about the strange mer was not worth having to fight for his life. Even if he won, using powerful magic was always risky. It attracted mage hunters.  
  
Anders did his best to forget about the first two meetings. That was, until he saw him for the third time.  
  
Unconscious and lying on the ocean floor, bleeding out and inviting all predators to their next meal. There was a harpoon lodged in his side. One that landdwellers used on their ships but mage hunters had learned of their usefulness and knew how to wield these instruments of death as well. Anders’ healer instincts kicked in before he could even be frightened of the consequences of taking a deep sea creature with him.  
  
His home was a humble little cave with a hole in the roof to let in some light. He was a bit… nervous about being in small dark spaces. Memories from less pleasant times tended to surface then. He laid the unconscious mer in his arms on a table carved from stone and started his work. Pulling out the harpoon came first, then stopping the blood. His magic crawled along dark skin and white lines. They had been dormant before but now they lit up in a soft glow, reacting to the magic. I was mesmerizing and for a moment, Anders almost forgot that he was supposed to check for more injuries. He found them, mostly contusions but also a broken rib, not to mention the damage the harpoon had caused. The creature was lucky, without healing, he would have died.  
  
Anders had to wonder who had attacked him like this. Landdwellers? Mage hunters? It didn’t really matter and perhaps it would have been safer to heal the deep sea mer where Anders had found him and then simply leaving but… as much as Anders wanted to be concerned about his own safety, he was just too curious now. If these kinds of merfolk lived in the deep, why did this one not stay there? Why did he come up so often?  
  
For a while, the mer didn’t stir and the only signs of life were his slow breathing and the faint glow of his white lines. Anders used the time to get a better look up close. He had already known before but this man, he… was beautiful. His face was handsome and finely crafted, as if he was a sculpture come to life. His body – while being smaller than Anders’ own - was all lithe but strong muscle and the lines and swirls that stretched from his chin to the tip of his tail only enhanced the most attractive parts. His tail… it didn’t have quite as many lateral fins as his own had and it was also a lot slimmer. The scales shimmered in dark tones of brown and gray, almost black. Anders looked down on himself. He had gotten many compliments on his own tail before. It was quite long, with many wispy little fins protruding from his hips and just before the tail fin. Its scales shimmered in shades of teal green and gold. They looked so very different and it was exciting, even if a bit frightening as well. While Anders himself and most other mers of his kind looked like they were born in the heart of a coral reef, this mer was like a creature made of night itself with pale rays of moonlight etched into his skin and a crown of white, soft looking hair. Anders remembered those impossibly green eyes that were staring at him right now, too….  
  
Wait.  
  
Suddenly, he was tackled and pressed to the stone floor of his cave. Sharp claws pressed into his arms, drawing blood, and he heard a harsh snarl above him while he struggled and thrashed his tail in panic. A mouth filled with sharp teeth came dangerously close to his throat. Magic. He needed to use magic.  
  
It was a small shockwave, nothing more, but it threw his attacker off him and Anders had time enough to dart to the far end of his cave, holding up his hands in what he hoped was a peaceful gesture.  
  
“I do not want to hurt you.” He said, slowly. Did that mer even speak his language? An unamused snort told him yes.  
  
“You’re a mage.” He spat in a surprisingly deep voice. Oh and it was a beautiful voice.  
  
“Well, that’s not the first thing most people say to me. Except for mage hunters. But the others usually either greet me with “Hey handsome!” or “Oh, my fins hurt! And I have a horrible gill cough!”” Anders chuckled at his own joke, hoping beyond hope that it would get the merman to relax. He only frowned deeper and got into a defensive position, ready to lash out, should Anders come too close.  
  
“I know your kind. And I will not permit any of you to touch me with your foul magic!”  
  
“Oops! Too late, you’re already healed. Please tell me beforehand next time so I can swim away and let you bleed out or get eaten by a shark.”  
  
The mer paused, looking down on himself and finding that, indeed, he didn’t have a harpoon protruding from his side anymore. “I’m…”  
  
“Healed? Yes, you’re welcome. As thanks, I would like to not be killed.”  
  
For a moment or two, the mer was silent and his body relaxed just a little. He still seemed suspicious however, so Anders thought it safer to keep his distance and put on his friendliest, most non-threatening smile.  
  
“Sooo, now that we have become such good friends already, what’s your name?”  
  
No answer.  
  
“I’m Anders by the way.”  
  
Still no answer. And after he had tried being so charming, too! Usually, people relaxed pretty quickly around him which could be because he was a healer or because he was just that pretty and entertaining. This one really was a hard clam to crack.  
  
“If you don’t want to tell me, I’ll just call you Glow-glow.”  
  
Glow-glow bristled visibly at the nickname. It was a joke, mostly, and a challenge to make him correct himself with his actual name. Even if he wouldn’t, Anders simply wanted to have a name to attach to the mer and no one had ever said it needed to be a good nickname. Glow-glow opened his mouth as if to say something, but then he looked up, noticing the hole in the ceiling of the cave. Just a second later, he was gone. Again. That guy was really fast, Anders had to admit.  


* * *

  
  
A few days after that incident, Anders felt watched. At first, he panicked, leaving his basket with freshly picked plants right where it was and racing back home. There, he barricaded himself and waited for an attacker, or worse, mage hunters. Nothing happened but Anders didn’t feel safe enough to go out for a while.  
  
Once he did, it happened again. He saw and heard no one but he practically shuddered at the sensation of eyes following his every move. Hunters wouldn’t act like that, they would overwhelm him with numbers instead of spying on him. Perhaps this was a former patient, ready to sell him out? No one had until now, sealing their lips shut in exchange for getting healed for free, but Anders was not naïve enough to believe that none of them could be bribed with riches and privileges. He wouldn’t even blame them.  
  
In a way to escape whoever kept observing him like this, he tried sneaking out of his cave at night, just to realize WHO it was that watched him. He almost would have missed it, had he not been so paranoid as to check his surroundings thoroughly while he swam to his usual harvesting place. A weak glow, just behind a nearby rock formation. Anders swam towards it as fast as possible but when he reached it, all he could see was a retreating tail fin, fleeing into the direction of the chasm. The chasm, a black crack in the ocean floor almost as big as the closest city, was the only place around here able to house creatures of the deep sea. Anders didn’t know how far down it went but he wouldn’t want to find out, either. Mers like him had a natural fear of these places, him especially. It reminded him of a memory he liked to push far away from him when he didn’t want to deal with it. He never wanted to deal with it.  
  
So Glow-glow was still here and he obviously lived in the chasm. Also, for some reason, he seemed to have taken an interest to Anders, which was surprising. Granted, Anders had healed him but after Glow-glow’s aggressive reaction and sudden departure, one would think that the guy didn’t want to hang around anymore. And yet, he did, in a somewhat creepy way. Then again, maybe Glow-glow was like him, wary but curious and just didn’t know how else to approach Anders? That almost made it seem cute. If Glow-glow had wanted to kill him, surely he would have done it already. Anders decided to test this theory.  
  
He returned to his routine, not minding the watching eyes anymore. He collected plants, shells and the occasional shiny thing like a stone or a thing that had once belonged to landdwellers. He treated patients that came to him each day and sometimes even at night. It was now almost a full moon cycle after Glow-glow’s injury and he was still lurking, not every day but often enough and Anders could always feel him nearby when he did.  
  
Today had been a particularly busy day. As much as people relied on him, he lived far away from the cities and villages of where most merpeople lived, so they always had to swim quite a way to reach him and only came all the way out here when it was very serious. The first patient was infested by parasites, his eyes sunken and his body malnourished. Another was pregnant and worried about the health of her baby because it hadn’t moved in a long time. The sun was starting to go down and take its warmth with it when the last patient arrived. He had been bitten by a venomous snake and was carried by his friends. For him, help came too late.  
  
Anders sighed and shook his head, directing an apologetic look at the man and woman. The woman cursed and the man gave a pathetic hiccup, trying and failing not to cry. They left carrying the body with great care and Anders swam outside as well, watching them leave until they couldn’t be seen in the distance anymore. He always felt guilty when he lost a life. He knew that he always did what he could but it never seemed like it was enough. Magic couldn’t cure death. At least not in a way that was ethically acceptable. Who wanted to be friends with a mindless zombie? Anders shook his head to get those thoughts out of his head. He could feel Glow-glow’s stare again. Did that guy ever take a break from camping in front of his cave? Anders felt too upset to not mind it right now and decided he wanted peace for a while to clear his thoughts and lighten his mood. He swam upwards until he breached the water surface.  
  
He was greeted by the last rays of the setting sun, bathing him in orange light. Anders liked the world above the surface. The light, the air, the creatures said to roam the lands and islands. Of course he had heard the tales of how dangerous and unfriendly landdwellers were. Anders valued his life, so he never sought them out by choice, but sometimes he imagined what it would be like to be caught by one of these fishing nets, perhaps falling in love with a landdweller and escaping the sea altogether. That was a dream dreamt only by naïve mermaids.  
  
There was a rock protruding  from the sea. Anders’ favorite spot when he wanted to watch the sky. He swam towards it and heaved himself up, flailing with his tail when it wouldn’t quite work for the first time. There was reason why his kind usually stayed underwater. He wasn’t exactly graceful when it came to moving out of water. Having done this so often already, he managed though.  
  
He was greeted by a slight breeze and made himself comfortable on his rock, watching the orange ball vanish behind the horizon, as if swallowed by the sea.  
  
Suddenly, Anders heard a splash and a cough. He twitched and turned towards the source of the noise. His eyes grew wide.  
  
Glow-glow coughed, took a deep breath and coughed more. He was obviously very distressed by having to breathe air. Anders hadn’t even known that a deep sea creature like him could do that as well. Were the stories wrong?  
  
He watched, curious but also ready to flee should Glow-glow decide to attack after all. But there were no signs of attack, only more coughing.  
  
“Are you alright,” he finally asked after a few more moments.  
  
“Air… dry…,” Glow-glow wheezed. He dived back under water again. Well, that had to be the most civil thing Glow-glow had ever said to him, even if it had only been two words.  
  
He returned mere moments later and tried again. This time, he seemed to get a hang of it slowly. Anders couldn’t help a small chuckle.  
  
“Isn’t this a bit high up for someone like you? Shouldn’t you be hiding in the darkness of your chasm, scaring some hapless anglerfish?”  
  
Glow-glow was quiet, now that he didn’t cough anymore. He watched with some interest while the last of the sun’s rays vanished and the colors turned from orange to dark blue. Anders had questions, many questions, but decided not to push Glow-glow. The fact he had willingly showed himself was already a miracle in itself, no need to test his luck.  
  
“I watched you.” It sounded like a confession and Anders chuckled again.  
  
“I noticed. You’re not very subtle about it. If this is some kind of weird deep sea merman courting, the least you could have done was leaving some flowers on my doorstep.  
  
Glow-glow shot him a brief glare for the comment but resumed watching the sky as more and more stars started becoming visible, like white freckles or glittering jewels. Anders loved the stars, loved their peaceful beauty that returned each night, reminding him how big this world really was. Between lines and swirls stretching along Glow-glow’s body, he had a few dots as well, like stars caught between rays of moonlight. Three dots in his forehead and more on his shoulders and arms. Anders wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to look at more right now.  
  
“So, aren’t you going to tell me the reason for your daily surveillance?”  
  
A pause. “I’m not from here. It has been only two moon cycles since I arrived. I’m from… elsewhere.” He seemed reluctant to specify from where. Anders had wondered about the accent but had thought that perhaps all deep sea mermen spoke like this. Perhaps there was more to it after all. “I wanted to know more about the area around the chasm. That’s when you found me. In the kelp forest. I didn’t want you to find me again but they found me instead.”  
  
“They?”  
  
“Hunters.”  
  
Anders was suddenly on high alert. “Mage hunters?” Glow-glow shook his head.  
  
“No. Slave hunters. I killed them but didn’t get far afterwards. You found me and… healed me.” The last words sounded more like Anders had insulted him instead of saving his dying arse. It made him huff.  
  
“Having your live saved is not that shameful, you know.”  
  
“You still don’t understand, do you?” Glow-glow’s tone suddenly turned harsh, almost as much as it had been that day inside Anders’ cave.  
  
“No, to be honest I really don’t get whatever you’re trying to tell me. So why did you stalk me like that?”  
  
Anders watched Glow-glow closely. Forgotten were the stars and the night sky. He turned from looking almost disappointed to conflicted to resigned. Whatever it was that was said about deep sea mers, it had to be wrong, at least in part. Otherwise, would they be having such a peaceful conversation right now?  
  
“You seemed to know your way around here. I don’t. The Waking Sea is… very different. Besides that, I wanted to determine whether or not you are a danger. You… heal the people that come to you. I had not anticipated that.”  
  
“I healed you, too, remember?”  
  
“Yes. I had expected you to try to sell me to the hunters. You didn’t. And you seemed upset because of the man that died, so I wanted to… I’m not sure. I usually avoid talking to anyone.”  
  
Well, this one was definitely of the wary sort but Anders felt a strange kind of understanding now. He was hunted, too. Perhaps he would have reacted the same, had he been in Glow-glow’s place.  
  
“That’s me, saving lives and not selling them out afterwards like any decent person should do. Except when I fail at the saving part. So, care to join me on my rock? The stars are beautiful tonight.” He didn’t mean the stars in the sky.  
  
Glow-glow glanced upwards briefly, then at the rock, then at Anders. They looked at each other, warm amber and deep green, caught in the moment and searching for answers. Glow-glow broke away first, disappearing beneath the surface. Were Anders’ flirting methods really that bad? Perhaps he was a bit rusty, he mused, before following the deep sea mer by jumping head first back into the waves, leaving the stars behind.  
  
To his delight, Glow-glow had not left yet. It wouldn’t have been surprising if he had, Anders had already seen many times how fast that guy could vanish when he wanted to. He approached Glow-glow, swimming in lazy loops around him to initiate an introductory dance. He hoped the other knew about this, he had absolutely no idea if it was customary in deep sea mer culture as well.  
  
“I’m curious about you.” He explained. Glow-glow joined him then, accepting the invitation. It seemed like the introductory dance was more universal than thought. Anders smiled and twirled through the water. His movements were open, sometimes languid, sometimes playful. He twisted and turned, opening all of his lateral fins as far as possible while shaking his tail with a coy smile. He called that move his spicy shimmy. It was his favorite.  
  
Glow-glow’s dance was different, very different. Every single move was controlled and quick but with a grace that had Anders almost breathless. He darted away with a speed that seemed almost impossible just to return even faster, like a harpoon thrown by a landdweller.  
  
Anders swam up, gaining some speed of his own and jumping through the surface, Glow-glow not far behind. They jumped a few times before sinking into the depths, circling each other.  
  
Words weren’t spoken during introductory dances. You got to know someone by the way they swam, the way they moved all of their body. It was so much more intimate than talking when you let your body decide what felt right and what didn’t and your partner did the same. Some people found their best friend through this. There were even stories about love at first dance. Right now, Anders actually started to believe them.  
  
They were still swimming downwards in a spiral and Anders came closer and closer. If Glow-glow accepted, they could intertwine their tails and kiss… and possible do even more than that. Anders would definitely be up for more. However, Glow-glow distanced himself a bit, not outright rejecting but making it unmistakably clear that he was not interested in this right now.  
  
“I will leave soon.” Glow-glow spoke up when their dance ended. “I have stayed here for too long already. It is only a matter of time before more hunters appear. Because of you I now know which things are safe to eat around here. I suppose I have to thank you for that. And for healing me.” He sounded so calm now, perhaps the dance had finally convinced him that Anders was no danger. It caused a pang in Anders’ heart. He had wanted to swim with Glow-glow some more, get to know him better, ask about his kind. He wanted to smother this beautiful, fascinating man with questions and kisses. He didn’t get quite as many chances to hook up with someone, now that he lived in the middle of nowhere and only the deathly ill came to visit. Setting broken bones and healing rashes was sadly not very sexy.  
  
Glow-glow turned around, ready to leave, and Anders knew that he only had the chance to ask one last thing, it was sad, it was disappointing, but he understood. He wouldn’t be able to stay here forever, either.  
  
“Glow-glow, wait! At least tell me your name?”  
  
He turned back towards him again, just for a moment and with a small smile.  
  
“I can tell you that it’s most certainly not Glow-glow.”  
  
And then he swam away, fast as ever, until only a weak glow could be seen in the distance, like a small star, swallowed by the night’s darkness.  
  
Anders sighed. So much for that adventure. Perhaps he should move, too. Search for a place that had more people. Or at least cat sharks. He really wanted a pet cat shark. He returned to his cave feeling even more down than when he had left.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Anders was awoken by a violent shake and a harsh voice hissing at him.  
  
“Anders. Anders!”  
  
Before Anders was even fully awake he could feel a strong hand pulling on his wrist. He blinked rapidly to get the sleep out of his eyes and was shocked to find that Glow-glow was the one pulling him.  
  
“You remember my name?” Ha asked, dumbfounded. Glow-glow didn’t answer and kept dragging him out of his home, into the open. Anders tried freeing his hand from the grip because he still had no idea what was going on but Glow-glow was not only fast, he was damn strong, too. Anders could only slow him down a little.  
  
“Wait wait wait! What’s going on? I thought you were leaving! Changed your mind?”  
  
The white lines glowed brighter and suddenly, the grip became even stronger. Anders winced.  
  
“No time explain. There are hunters.”  
  
“Slave hunters?”  
  
“No. Mage hunters.”  
  
Anders’ heart made a panicked leap. Suddenly the idea of following Glow-glow to wherever he wanted them to go was a lot more appealing. Anders sped up and as soon as he did, Glow-glow did, too.  
  
A harpoon flew by Anders’ head, narrowly missing it and when he looked back, he saw them.  
  
The mage hunters, employed by the king himself to imprison or kill any mage they found. The king feared they would try to usurp his throne and rule the kingdom like the mages in faraway waters had done. Anders didn’t even know if that was true or if the king was simply paranoid.  
  
The hunters were clad in dolphin bone and blessed pearl strings. Though what made them frightening was their ability to dispel magic.  
  
Glow-glow accelerated, so much that Anders was unable to keep up with him. He glanced back again. He needed to at least do something! Holding out his free hand towards the hunters, he summoned current and bubbles alike, a move that disoriented them for a moment and gave him a much needed push.  
  
With a flash, the magic was dispelled and they threw another harpoon, though it got stuck in a wall of ice. They yelled something and slowed down. Anders was surprised and looked forward again to see what had them so reluctant all of a sudden. He squeaked.  
  
“Glow-glow, no! Everything but not this! Don’t pull me down there!”  
  
The deep sea me  didn’t even answer. Anders slowed down, tried to make Glow-glow stop. His breath hitched in fear. They had reached the edge of the chasm and Glow-glow pulled downwards. The mage hunters looked over the edge, confused and unable to follow. One of them threw another harpoon but it was swallowed by darkness and missed them by a wide margin.  
  
Glow-glow continued pulling and Anders continued fighting it. The deeper they went, the darker it got. In the end, instead of pulling away, he latched himself to the other mer, trying and failing to stop shaking.  
  
“Will you stop slowing us down?! You almost got yourself killed!” Glow-glow’s voice was harsh as he tried to free himself from Anders’ embrace.  
  
“Get me back up. Get me back up! Don’t pull me down there. Please.”  
  
That was when Glow-glow stopped. Looking up, then into the black waters below.  
  
“The hunters won’t follow us if we keep going. You will be safe.”  
  
“And why do you think that is?! Why do you think my kind never ventures this far down, not even the bravest of us with hearts made of stone?! I’m not like you! I don’t belong there! It feels wrong!”  
  
Had this been any other kind of situation, Anders would have enjoyed being so close to another body, especially a pretty one like Glow-glow’s. But like this, he only wanted to get up. Away from this. Away from the sea. Forever. Up in the sky with the birds, no one would be able to catch him there, either.  
  
“I’m here. You will be safe.” Anders opened his eyes – when had he closed them? - surprised at the sudden gentleness in Glow-glow’s voice. He couldn’t see anything anymore. But he saw Glow-glow. Even his eyes had started glowing by now. Two large green orbs, starting at him and waiting. It was… a little creepy, admittedly.  
  
They continued descending, Anders still clinging to Glow-glow like a lifeline, which he was.  
  
“Can you do me a favor? Can you keep talking?”  
  
Glow-glow seemed to contemplate it for a moment before speaking up.  
  
“My name is Fenris. I don’t remember much of my past. My earliest memory is that of being a slave to a powerful mage in the Nucen Sea. I was his bodyguard and his prized pet. Being able to catch my kind isn’t easy, I was told. I don’t know others like me. I came all the way south but didn’t find even one of them. They are very elusive and I don’t remember who I was before or where I lived. I know what my abilities are and that I used to live in the deep. That is all. My master is still trying to hunt me down, sending others to do his dirty work. I wanted to leave today but as I was on my way, I saw the mage hunters you were talking about swimming your way. You are lucky that I was quicker than they were.”  
  
Anders listened quietly. It was a lot to take in at once. So his name was Fenris? That was a nice name. Anders rolled it around in his mouth without actually saying it aloud. He wanted to remember it, even if he had also gotten quite used to calling him Glow-glow by now. And he had been slave? That sounded horrible. But if what he said was true, then that meant…  
  
“So the stories are true? About mages being free in faraway oceans?”  
  
“If you are powerful and corrupt enough. Otherwise you might just end up as someone’s slave,” Fenris spat. It was obvious that this was a touchy topic and Anders frowned. He had not wanted to offend the other mer, especially not after he had been saved, but the tone in his voice made Anders remember the first time they had met. How Fenris had called his magic foul.  
  
“I don’t want to be corrupt or usurp the king’s throne or own anyone! I just want to be free! I just want to be not hunted any longer! Don’t you want the same?”  
  
Fenris stayed quiet.  
  
Slowly, the pressure started becoming a problem. At first it had been slightly uncomfortable. Now, the lower they got, the harder it was to keep moving, to keep breathing. Anders felt the pressure in his head, causing a horrible ache, in his chest, smooshing it together like a too tight hug around his whole body.  
  
“Fenris… the pressure… I don’t… I can’t..” Anders wheezed. He tried summoning his magic for a healing spell to ease the feeling but instead, he blacked out.  


* * *

  
  
Anders woke up on soft sand. He twisted on it, trying to get a more comfortable position. Something bright was shining at his face and he cracked one eye open to see where the offending light came from. Glow-glow… wait no, Fenris stared at him.  
  
He looked around. They were in a cave. A small cave with barely enough room for Fenris and him with Fenris’ markings being enough to bathe the entire space in a soft light. At the entrance, he could see… nothing. This had to be bottom of the chasm, where Fenris lived, but for some reason, the intense pressure didn’t affect him as much anymore. Tiny fluctuations at the entrance told him that this cave was special. Perhaps this was some kind of magic?  
  
“How do you feel?”  
  
“Well… I’m alive. That counts as a feeling, right?” Anders offered a weak smile and while Fenris didn’t react, he seemed relieved. For some reason, that managed to lift Anders’ mood a bit. That and the fact that Fenris had come to rescue him, even if he had dragged him all the way down into the deep to do so.  
  
“The hunters will most likely wait for a while for you to come out. Once they leave, you can go back up. But you should perhaps not linger in this place.”  
  
Anders sighed. “I knew that this day would come. I actually waited for it. But I guess even while knowing, I let my guard down too much. Thank you. For saving me.”  
  
“I was merely returning a favor. We are now even.”  
  
Of course. Hoping that his new deep sea acquaintance actually cared about him would have been pushing his luck. Anders usually had the worst luck ever anyway and this time, it was no exception.  
  
“I will swim up and see if the hunters left.”  
  
Fenris wanted to move but was held back by Anders grabbing his wrist as he passed him on his way. A sudden wave of panic crept up Anders’ spine. He wouldn’t be left alone in this tiny hole at the bottom of the ocean, would he?  
  
“Wait. Don’t leave me alone. I can see nothing around here and I-”  
  
“Just don’t move. I will be back soon.”  
  
Anders shook his head quickly. As long as Fenris was here, talking to him, lighting up the cave, he had been fine. But staying here alone, in complete darkness, in a confined space… Anders wouldn’t be able to endure that even for a minute.  
  
“Please,” he begged.  
  
Fenris frowned, pulling his arm away. “And how am I supposed to make sure that the water is clear? Just cast a light spell and wait!”  
  
 “A what now?” Anders stared in disbelief and confusion. “I don’t… I’ve never hear heard of something like that. I can make currents and bubbles and ice. And healing, of course. But that kind of magic doesn’t exist.”  
  
“The most powerful mages of the Nucen Sea know how to cast light as well as a spell that would help with the pressure of the deep. I believe that’s how they caught me in the first place.”  
  
“Good for them.” Anders frowned. Was Fenris mocking him now for being a weaker mage and not knowing anything about this? He wasn’t like those mages!  
  
“If they can do it, I believe you will be capable of accomplishing it, too. You can heal. A talent that not many possess. You are powerful, which is why I was so suspicious at first.”  
  
That was unexpected. Him? Powerful? He could only chuckle nervously at that. If he had been powerful, he would have been able to save those he had cared about, instead of narrowly escaping and hiding ever since.  
  
“Even if you say that, I can’t do it. I wouldn’t even know how.”  
  
“We will think of something. Until then, would it help you if you had a light source with you?”  
  
Anders nodded reluctantly, unsure where Fenris wanted to get that light source from. He was the only light source here, wasn’t he? Fenris nodded as well and looked around for something. He found it in a corner, a stone with a very sharp edge. Taking it in one hand, Fenris grabbed one of his tiny lateral fins in the other. It was protruding on his hip, just beneath the point where skin turned into scales and it had a glowing white stripe as well as three dots on each side.  
  
“Fenris, what-“  
  
Fenris made a precise slice, cutting the fin right off. Anders stared in shock. He was a healer and he had seen way, way worse things. But no one had ever voluntarily cut of a part of their body just like that. And now Fenris was taking his hand, putting the severed fin inside. It started to glow, as if reacting to Anders’ magic. He remembered how that had happened before, when he had healed Fenris.  
  
“Now wait here. I will be back as soon as I can.” And then Fenris was gone, leaving Anders who still stared at the fin in awe. He didn’t know whether to call this mer the most hardcore person he had ever met or completely out of his mind. Though as soon as it grew quiet in the cave, dark memories closed in on him like ghosts, haunting his thoughts. Anders pressed himself into a corner, clutching at the fin and silently begging for Fenris to hurry up and come back soon.  
  
\---  
  
When Fenris returned, he brought mussels and a few crabs, wrapped in kelp for easy transport. Anders curiously peeked at what had to be their food for the day and finally left his corner, though he still clutched the severed fin in his hand.  
  
“I take it they aren’t gone yet.” Fenris affirmed that. It would have been too good to be true anyway.  
  
“They were taking apart your cave. There was nothing I could do that wouldn’t have made me their target.”  
  
“How did you even stay hidden anyway? I knew exactly when you were watching me.”  
  
“Because I let you know.”  
  
Right. Either Fenris was some super stealthy master sneaker or he was a big liar. And seeing how great and strong and pretty he already was, Anders was convinced that he had to have some flaws aside from grumpiness and chronic “not answering questions”. Anders looked at the food again and suddenly he felt too hungry care.  
  
He took one of the mussels, cracking the shell open and slipping the soft fleshy bit into his mouth. A satisfied noise escaped his throat and quickly he grabbed the next one. He was hungrier than thought, his stomach was already starting to rebel. Then he heard a crunchy noise and paused.  
  
Fenris simply popped another mussel into his mouth, shell and everything. He gave Anders a pointed look before taking his discarded shell and eating that, too. Uhm. Alright then. It seemed like Fenris liked to eat the crunchy bits, which was only confirmed when he grabbed a crab and just bit into it. Anders decided he did not want to watch that and did his best to only look at his own meal.  
  
“I didn’t heal you yet. Your fin.” He hadn’t even thought about that before, too shocked and too afraid to care about anything besides not being left alone in the dark.  
  
“There wasn’t much blood. It’s not a big deal.” Fenris was done with his crab and returned to eating the mussels.  
  
“Still, you did that for me! And it won’t grow back. I feel bad, alright? Just let me take a look at it.”  
  
Fenris frowned, though he moved closer and onto his side, showing the spot where the fin had been before. Anders felt even guiltier now. What if Fenris had a worse balance now because of him? What if that would cost him his life some day? He had cut off a piece of himself, just to give Anders some light while he waited. Now, there really wasn’t much that could be done anymore but Anders still used a healing spell on the wound. Fenris gasped almost silently and lit up a lot brighter. Why those markings seemed to react to magic so strongly was another mystery on its own.  
  
Feeling a little daring, Anders finished his healing by placing a quick kiss on the closed wound. Fenris twitched, moving away just enough to give Anders a whap with his tail fin. It didn’t hurt though and Anders only giggled at the flustered expression on the deep sea mer’s face.  
  
“That was my special treatment. Not everyone gets that, mind you. Only my cutest patients.”  


* * *

  
  
 The problem with being forced to stay in a confined space for a longer time was the fact that there wasn’t much to do. Fenris proved to be a difficult conversational partner. He refused to tell Anders more about the Nucen Sea and when Anders started talking instead, about his life on the run and his adventures while he had hidden in cities and villages, Fenris’ range of facial expression went from neutral to pretty much disgusted and annoyed.  
  
“And you would think that a man with six fingers on each hand would give the best hand-jobs, but no, the hand is really only made for five and a sixth only complicates thinks. I felt somewhat bad for the guy. “  
  
Suddenly, Anders felt himself pressed into the sand. Fenris stared down at him with a face that said he was not in the least bit amused. Pity, it had been a funny story.  
  
“What do you think you’re doing?”  
  
“I’m talking! Because you’re not! You can’t just expect me to sit here and wait until you go up again to see if I can finally come out of this hole.”  
  
“I suppose that’s what I should do now.”  
  
Before Fenris could even move away, Anders grabbed his arm and snaked his tail around Fenris’ shorter one to make him stay. Anders knew that he could easily pry himself free but he didn’t move, he simply stared and waited. Somehow, this was even worse than Fenris struggling. Anders swallowed before opening his mouth again.  
  
“Uhm… you know, that… thing. I don’t think they will be gone so soon. And I don’t want to be left alone again.”  
  
“I provided you with a light source.”  
  
Anders flinched. He had tucked the fin away, beneath one of his own. Even id it felt somewhat wrong to hold on to a former part of someone’s body for so long. “Yeah, that. It was unexpectedly kind of you. You say you’re just repaying a favor but… is that really everything?”  
  
The grip loosened and fingers traced along skin, mimicking the pattern of white lines and swirls. It felt  oddly satisfying. Almost addicting. He wanted to do it more. Their position was a lot more intimate than he had anticipated but Fenris wasn’t pulling back. It was too tempting not to try to push his limits.  
  
“You’re clinging to me because you’re scared.”  
  
No. No, that wasn’t it. Of course he was scared, of course wanted something to hold on to in this place that was so far away from anything even remotely endurable. But…  
  
“I’m not like the man with twelve fingers. I’m not entertainment. Even if I’m a hideous creature from the bottom of the ocean.”  
  
Was that what Fenris thought? That he saw him as entertainment? As hideous?  
  
“Whoever told you that?” Anders’ voice was barely above a whisper. “Did you not pay attention to my dance?” He reached up to touch Fenris’ face, running a thumb along his cheek. His heart had sped up and it was beating like a drum, ready to break out of his ribs. “You are the most beautiful person I ever saw in my life. It’s like you have stars and moonlight in your skin. I love the stars and the moon.”  
  
Those impossibly green eyes were burning into him, searching for… something. Sincerity perhaps? Did Fenris still not believe him? Anders wondered. How had other people reacted to seeing him? What had that former master of his told him? Did he think he looked like a monster?  
  
The moment was broken and Fenris freed himself, floating slowly towards the entrance of his cave. “I thought about the light spell. The most powerful mages in the Nucen Sea created the spell by watching my kind and simulating the glow and the ability to withstand the pressure easily. Perhaps you would be able to do so as well by watching me.”  
  
Anders frowned. The more he talked to Fenris, the less he made sense. He helped him but didn’t want to admit it. He kept his distance but because he thought Anders thought of him as a hideous creature. Just what was going on in that head of his? As if on cue, Fenris gave him another intense stare.  
  
“You are a mage and I have learned to not trust your kind. Do not make me regret making an exception for you. Now, come.”  
  
“How will this even work?”  
  
“With a dance.”  
  
Anders’ eyes widened. Dance? Out there? Not in a million years!  
  
“I can’t dance out there!”  
  
“You won’t dance. You will watch.”  
  
Fenris returned, swimming tight loops around Anders. An invitation and a difficult feat in such limited space but Fenris’ small and lean body managed to do it. It was clear what he wanted and Anders, out of other options, complied. With tiny movements he glided out of the cave and into the open, bassing the barried that kept the pressure back. It truly felt like magic, old magic that had been there long before Fenris. A remnant of the last being to inhabit it perhaps?  
  
There it was again, the pressure weighting down on him and making it hard to breathe or even continue moving. This time, he managed to cast a sustaining healing spell on himself before he could black out.  
  
Now that the walls were gone, there was nothing but darkness. That… and Fenris. Hey swam above Anders, making sure not to drift too far away. Then he started his dance. Once again, Anders found himself mesmerized by the strong and controlled movements, now more than ever. It was as if Fenris didn’t even feel the pressure. Perhaps he didn’t.  
  
A spin, a loop, a sudden turn. All the while, Fenris’ white lines glowed, making him the only thing that mattered. A world swallowed in silence and black and only Fenris existed. Anders watched.  
  
Fenris came closer, drawing lines on Anders’ arms with his fingers. Touches as light as the kiss of a jellyfish. And also somewhat paralyzing. It was almost like a courting dance, the display, the soft touches. Anders had never been courted before. He had watched others with envy. There had been a person but never an opportunity… until it had been too late.  
  
“That fear of yours… it seems too personal to be merely something that all of your kind suffers.”  
  
Fenris floated upward and then dove down, beneath Anders. He tensed, suddenly feeling much less secure until those careful fingers touched him again, drawing on his back.  
  
“It’s… a long story.”  
  
“Curious. You seemed to like telling me long stories. Just not the one I ask about.”  
  
The fingers left and Fenris swam in spirals around him. Slowly, the purpose of this exercise started making sense. Anders felt it. The way his magic felt pulled towards the glowing lines. Fenris had magic in him, too. That had to be it. But it was different. It made him want to release it and resonate with the light. It attracted him like a moth to the flame, especially here, where there was nothing else.  
  
“Our fear of the deep and small spaces without light is universal. That’s why it’s used as a punishment. I was not always on the run, just like you weren’t. I started developing magic when I had been still a boy. They caught me, but instead of simply killing me, I was put into the king’s personal court of mages. We were prisoners and at the mercy of the hunters. Only when the king needed us, then he would call us to him. I hated it and made plan after plan to escape. They never worked for long and as a punishment, they put me… into... this cell… that was completely devoid of light and I-“  
  
Anders couldn’t continue talking, he felt his whole body shaking. It felt like the weight of the world had returned to him and he was helpless in its grip. It had been long. So many days without light.  
  
But there was light here. Light and touch and a deep, strangely soothing voice, even if he couldn’t make out the words. He could only try to absorb the light, welcome it in his body, in his soul. The light that had saved him. His body felt like it was bursting open, tiny tears and rips everywhere. The light he had absorbed escaping again through his skin like blood seeping out of wounds.  
  
Wait.  
  
He looked at his own hand. It was glowing. It wasn’t like Fenris, there were no pretty patterns, only slashes and cuts and tears. But he had his own light now.  
  
“Fenris! Fenris, look! I’m glowing!” There was excitement in his voice and on his face as he smiled at Fenris, who simply nodded.  
  
“It appears my theory was right.”  
  
Moving at the bottom of the chasm was still hard but now that he knew how to glow, he felt so much better. They returned to Fenris’ little hole and Anders let himself sink into the sand, feeling completely exhausted.  
  
“I need a nap after this. I feel like I shortened my own life just to accomplish this.”  
  
“When you wake up, will you tell me the rest of the story?”  
  
“What, yeah, sure…” Anders had only half-listened to Fenris’ last words, he already felt himself drifting off. Whatever it was it would have time when he was awake again.  
  


* * *

  
  
When Anders woke up, Fenris was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, Anders felt his chest tighten but then he remembered that he had learned the glowing magic and used it to light up the cave. How long had he slept? Was it day or night? Down here, time seemed to not be very relevant. It was always dark. What did it matter when you slept and when you were awake?  
  
“They’re gone.”  
  
Fenris’ voice pulled Anders from his musings and he watched as the other mer entered the cave. Anders stretched, twisting  his tail this way and that. He didn’t feel completely refreshed yet but he could already guess Fenris’ next words.  
  
“We should move.”  
  
Ascending was exactly as satisfying as Anders had believed it would be. The pressure became less and less, he started feeling lightheaded and as soon as he could see first sign of sunlight in the distance, he sped up, leaving Fenris behind. Anders knew Fenris  was faster, though he seemed to be in no rush, at least for now.  
  
Up and up. A dizzying feeling creeping into his head and making his limbs weak but he fought it with magic, the need to be back where he belonged too urging. Anders didn’t rest until he was out of the chasm, and not even then, rising higher and jumping through the surface. He fell back with a surprised gasp.  
  
“My eyes, urrgh. Too much light.” Fenris was waiting for him at the edge of the chasm, giving him a look that said “told you so”. Fenris hadn’t even said anything. He had no right to look like that!  
  
“Are you quite done?”  
  
“Yes yes, just… can we go take a look at my home?” Part of him didn’t even want to know what the hunters had done to it but he needed to. It would never let him go otherwise. Fenris nodded and they swam in the direction of his cave – his former cave – together.  
  
It was as bad as anticipated. The hunters had smashed his shelves and his collection of shiny objects littered the floor. Every kind of seaweed he had kept here was shredded and his bed, a quite comfortable nest of kelp and sea lion skin, was barely recognizable. They had even managed to crack the table. The table! There was no doubt that Anders couldn’t return anymore, especially if the hunters now knew this place. He sighed and sunk to the floor, to sit among his shiny things.  
  
“What do you intend to do now?” Fenris was behind him, looking around with a somber expression. He had probably watched as the Hunters had done all this.  
  
“I need to leave, like you said. I’m not sure where to go next. I’ve been here too long, I guess.”  
  
“May the tide be in your favor.”  
  
That sounded like a good bye. That sounded like Fenris wanted to leave. Anders spun around, just in time to see Fenris leave the cave and darted out as fast as he could, knowing that the guy was fast and he needed to be fast, too, before he was gone.  
  
“Wait!”  
  
Fenris stopped, turning towards him. Now… what did he want to say? He didn’t want Fenris to leave but there was no way he could make him do that, unless…  
  
“Can I… come with you?”  
  
“You want to- why?”  
  
Anders cleared his throat. He needed to be smooth now. He probably only had this one chance and if he didn’t manage to convince Fenris that having him as a companion was incredibly invaluable, then he would probably never get to see him again.  
  
“I’m, uh, you know, very useful! I can heal and I can… help you with finding your people. As… as a thanks. For saving me and teaching me that glowing spell.”  
  
“You’re slow. And you will not be much help in finding mers who live way below your comfort zone and in complete darkness. Not even I could find them.”  
  
Anders felt his stomach sink “So is that a no,” he asked, wondering why he had even tried in the first place. Of course Fenris wouldn’t want him. He would just have to look for a new hovel to hide in.  
  
“It is a “hurry up and get ready before I leave you behind”. We will go east.” There was a tiny smile on Fenris’ lips. That bastard, had he known? Had he made Anders beg like an idiot to be able to come with him? Suddenly Anders felt a lot less inclined to hurry up.  
  
“You ass! Jerk! Stupid glowfish!”  
  
“I’m serious about leaving you behind if you don’t hurry up.”  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second chapter... lots of mermagic! So they're going to travel together? I wonder if that will end well... next chapter will be the final one, btw. D:


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You waited for it and here it is! The last chapter for my mermaid fic! Lots of feels, realizations and sexy times will happen.
> 
> Also! This fic also has fanart now! Thank you so much! <3
> 
> First we have a Fenris, This is now the colored version! He has such a beautiful fishtail and the colors are lovely!  
> http://vanoodle.tumblr.com/post/140793269053
> 
> And then we have this work which we can call the official work for this fic since the artist and I talked about it a lot and everything. It's Anders and Fenris dancing!  
> http://vanoodle.tumblr.com/post/140516197478

They traveled east, towards the Amaranthine Ocean. Fenris, Anders found out, was definitely not like any other mer he had ever met before. Which was probably a given, seeing how he was a different species altogether. Fenris didn’t like fish, for one. Anders had found out after catching some and offering them to the deep sea mer who had made such a disgusted face Anders had not been able to calm down for minutes. Those little wrinkles on Fenris’ nose were just adorable but they only appeared when he was particularly angry or disgusted. And since Anders didn’t want him to be angry, there was only one other option to make them appear. Anders made it a habit to eat fish often and always in front of Fenris, who in turn had made it a habit to eat crustaceans of all kinds and always chewing on the shells. The sounds made Anders’ fins shiver.  
  
Fenris also didn’t like sunlight. It hurt his eyes, he said. Anders had tried a few times to get Fenris to join him on the surface during the day and look at the sky, without any success. When it was night, however, they sometimes sat on a rock or just floated on the surface, watching the stars and the moon together.  
  
It was one of these nights and they were lying on a sandy beach, waves crashing around them and just covering enough of their bodies to keep them wet. It was a dengrous position for a mer to be in. If any landdwellers found them like this, there was no guarantee that they would get back into the water quickly enough. Suffice to say, Fenris had not been too thrilled by this idea.  
  
“Being on land feels heavy, too, but not like being in the deep. Here, it’s like everything around you is light and you’re the heavy one.”  
  
Occasionally, Anders glanced to the side to watch Fenris while he looked at the stars. He was tense but slowly, very slowly, he seemed to relax. He was perhaps not the most adventurous mer, with good reason. Still, you don’t live when you don’t take risks now and then, right?  
  
“The pressure of the deep feels rather… comforting. Like home. A can’t describe it well.”  
  
“Well, it’s where you’re supposed to be, right? I sometimes wonder if I was supposed to be born out of the water. I’m sure landdwellers don’t have mage problems. Do they even have mages? Either way, I have a feeling that I wasn’t supposed to be what I am now.”  
  
“Do you wish to walk the land? On legs? They seem… difficult to control”  
  
“And yet landdwellers manage somehow! Though I think dancing would be impossible with those.”  
  
Fenris turned his head and their eyes met. A particularly high wave crashed over them and when it pulled back, they were both already gone, leaving the shallow waters near the beach.  
  
Anders made a playful twirl and Fenris joined in on the dance, swimming in spirals and circles. Being on the run meant they could never stay in one place for a long time, not to mention that they still had to find Fenris’ people, but it didn’t mean they couldn’t be a little playful now and then. And dancing was just as important for communication as talking.  
  
Anders had given up on his flirting. As much as he wanted to court Fenris or at least kiss his criminally beautiful face, he didn’t want to come off as pushy. He didn’t want to pressure Fenris into anything, even if he was pretty sure Fenris wouldn’t actually let himself be pressured. He hadn’t outright rejected Anders yet but he had been… reluctant. So Anders had figured that he was on the safer side if he just tried to be Fenris’ friend. It was, in itself, rewarding enough.  
  
That didn’t stop him from using his spicy shimmy as often as possible, however. Fenris answered by pushing himself ahead and whapping Anders lightly with his tail fin. A sign that said “Stop it, you goof.”  
  
Anders simply laughed until a movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned his head towards the ocean floor and a tiny gasp escaped his throat. That and a cooing noise.  
  
“Oh nooo, what have we here?”  
  
Fenris, who seemed rather confused by the sudden change of plans, was momentarily forgotten as Anders approached the small shark making its rounds, most likely searching for small fish to eat.  
  
“Ohhh, aren’t you the cutest little thing!” Anders held out his hand. The shark stopped for a moment, bumped Anders’ hand, and continued its search.  
  
“What in all oceans are you doing?”  
  
Anders flashed a bright smile at Fenris.  
  
“It’s a catshark! They are the cutest! I mean, look at him! I’ll call him Ser Jaws-tin.”  
  
“It’s a shark. It will bite your finger if you get too close. And your naming skills haven’t improved in any way.”  
  
Anders swam after Ser Jaws-tin, petting the small shark until it swam around him for more. “Oh shush, Glow-glow! Ser Jaws-tin would never bite me, look how nice he is! You are nice, aren’t you, Ser Jaws-tin?”  
  
Suddenly, Ser Jaws-tin flinched and swam away, leaving behind a very confused Anders. He didn’t, however, have much time to mourn the loss of his new friend. Fenris tensed and hissed a word in a foreign language and Anders could feel them. Mages, like him.  
  
They surrounded them, materializing from the sandy ground like assassins waiting to strike. How long had they been there? How long had Anders not noticed them? They were mermages, just like him, he could feel the power radiate off their hands as they readied spells. They wore strange decorations on their bodies, chains and cords made of materials Anders had never seen before. Those had to be the slave hunters Fenris had talked about. They were leering at him and one began to speak, in a language Anders had never heard but it sounded like the one Fenris had just cursed in.  
  
“I’m not a slave!” Fenris shouted and darted forward, attacking one of the mages. He threw a spell at Fenris and the markings lit up with blinding intensity.  
  
Anders knew he needed to fight, too. He was hit by a current but brought up a wall of ice before shattering it and shooting thousands of biting little shards at the attackers. One held up a hand and the shards melted instantly. Suddenly, the water felt strangely warm. Anders wasn’t done, however. He made a bubble, and caught one of the mages within. The mage was caught off-guard and coughed. Using the opportunity, Anders made another ice shard to pierce him with. The last sound he made was a surprised, wet gurgle.  
  
Meanwhile, Fenris had taken a hunter’s harpoon and used it to defend himself against his attackers. The markings seemed to somewhat keep the magic at bay, not dispelling it completely, but weakening it at the very least.  
  
Anders was having a battle of will, ice against, heat. He created more and more as it kept being melted down. He noticed too late that this had been what his attacker wanted, the smallest of smiles on the ugly face giving him away. There had been another one. Where was the other one?! Anders turned his head just in time to see him creeping up on Fenris from behind.  
  
“Fenris, watch out!”  
  
And then, something completely unbelievable happened.  
  
Fenris had noticed and reacted in time.  
  
By sticking his hand into the slave hunter’s chest.  
  
The man gasped breathlessly as Fenris pulled something out of his ribcage. A heart. Fenris had just ripped out someone’s heart. With his bare hand. The water was stained red as he let go of it and fought on as if nothing had happened. It had only taken a moment. Even the attackers had seemed too shocked to move for a moment but they recovered sooner than Anders who didn’t have quite enough time to dodge the harpoon. It missed his vital organs but hit his tail, ripping a pained scream from his throat.  
  
Through the pain, he only grew angrier. A shockwave hit the hunter, pushing him back before he met it with one of his own. And then Anders glowed. He didn’t know why, but he felt like it unlocked something inside him, a potential he hadn’t known before. He held out his hand and pressed down. His opponent fell to the sandy floor like a stone and wriggled bathetically as more and more magical pressure was put on him. He didn’t wriggle for long.  
  
Fenris finished the last one still living by reaching into his head. The man’s eyes rolled back and he was gone. It was now that Anders saw that Fenris hadn’t simply stuck his hand into someone, he had done it without having to break through skind and bone. He just… reached through the flesh like a ghost. For a moment, Anders wondered if he was seeing things. Did Fenris know magic? What kind of magic was that?!  
  
Amidst the corpses and the slowly diffusing blood, they floated and stared at each other in silence. Fenris was the first to move.  
  
“We should leave. The scent will attract sharks.”  
  
“What… was that?”  
  
No answer.  
  
“What did you do?”  
  
Fenris was silent.  
  
“And for that matter, what did I do? I don’t remember having… such a spell.”  
  
“You should heal yourself.”  
  
Anders looked down on himself. Right. He had gotten hit. He had almost forgotten.  


* * *

  
  
After the incident, Fenris had become distant. As they traveled east, the shores of the waking sea were soon replaced by open water, endless, cold, silent. The Amaranthine ocean. There were rumors about giant monsters roaming the waters and ruthless pirates that caught merfolk and ate them. Anders had always believed it was nothing but superstition but now that he was here… he wasn’t so sure. It was perhaps more of a feeling than a fact. Everything was so big here that you could get lost forever. It was the sea itself that represented monster and ruthless pirate alike, eating you and never letting you go. Such was the fate of those straying too far from home.  
  
Fenris was silent most of the time. He avoided talking and looking at Anders as much as he could. They didn’t look at the stars anymore and they didn’t dance. Ander had no idea what was wrong. Was it his fault? Was it because of the spell and the magic that the glowing had unlocked? Fenris had always said he didn’t trust mages. But that wasn’t even his fault! Why was Fenris punishing him like this? Not even living alone had felt so lonely.  
  
They swam and there was nothing beneath them, nothing but darkness. This was perhaps one of the places where Fenris should look for his kind but he made no move to swim downwards, he simply kept going forward in a tempo that Anders could barely keep up with, especially since they were swimming all day.  
  
“You know, I never told you the rest of the story.” Anders was almost shocked by how bitter he sounded. He didn’t know why he suddenly brought that up. If only it would get a reaction out of Fenris, a few words, just… something. That would already be a start, right?  
  
“There was a mage in the court with me. His name was Karl and he… we… you know. We couldn’t court. Well, it wasn’t outright forbidden but if you did, there was something the mage hunters could use against you. We didn’t want to give them the chance. Anyway, after my last attempt to break out, I was put into the dungeon, like I said. It was without light, without anything, for a long time. There was a catshark that came to visit sometimes. Wiggly. He bit most people who tried to touch him but not me. I suppose I’m just that charming.”  
  
Anders laughed. Charming. Just not charming enough for Fenris.  
  
“On one of these days, it was dark like always, I heard loud noises coming from outside. The mages had planned an uprising while I had been imprisoned. Someone let me out and immediately I looked for Karl but in the chaos, I couldn’t see him.” Anders swallowed. That part was always the hardest. “There was a hunter and he almost got me but… Karl. He saved me and told me to flee. Many of the mages died that day. I was one of few lucky ones who made it and we parted into all directions in hopes that they wouldn’t find all of us. Afterwards I lived in hiding and moved a lot. I told you about those days.”  
  
“Why are telling me this now?” Fenris didn’t look at him, as if his eyes were glued to the horizon.  
  
“I don’t know! Perhaps because you’re not talking to me anymore?! I never asked to be a mage, you know,” Anders snapped. It had been hard enough to talk about at all! He didn’t like having to revisit his past! And all that Fenris had to say about his story was this?! Why had he even bothered?! Suddenly, he regretted ever having wanted to go with Fenris and help him. And now he was in an unfamiliar ocean with a guy who seemingly didn’t want to talk to him ever again. It hurt. He had really wanted to be Fenris’ friend. But could he be friends with someone who wouldn’t accept him for who he was?  
  
Fenris lost speed, suddenly seeming distracted by something. He stopped and Anders stopped just a few meters ahead.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I hear something. It sounds like… a song.”  
  
Anders barely had time to register what Fenris had said before he swam down, into the deep, suddenly and without warning. Looking after him, Anders considered leaving. Just swimming somewhere else and never bothering with that guy again. There were plenty of fish in the sea. In the end though, he sighed and followed.  
  
The darkness of the deep sea greeted him again and he could only follow Fenris’ faint glow in the distance. He hoped that Fenris wasn’t going at full speed because the Anders would never manage to catch up to him.  
  
At certain point, he activated his own glow as well as the pressure spell, just… backwards. Ah, so that was how you used that! He suddenly felt so much better. No headache, no nothing. Only a white dot in the distance that he could not loose under any circumstances. Being all alone here still seemed like the worse alternative.  
  
The dot in the distance seemed to have stopped and Anders felt a new surge of motivation. If he was lucky, he could reach Fenris now and find out what that “song” had been about. He had heard nothing.  
  
The closer he was, the stranger the glow became though, it was almost as if… there two sources of light, not one. The shock hit Anders hard and he swam even more desperately. He could see it now, illuminated by Fenris’ and her own light.  
  
It was another deep sea mer, a woman. She had markings all over her body and her face, just like Fenris, but hers looked different. They were thin and snaked around each of her limbs and fins like vines. Also, she glowed green.  
  
The mermaid’s eyes moved towards him and she seemed to need a moment to comprehend that he wasn’t one of her kind. She made a surprised noise and seemed ready to flee but Fenris stopped her.  
  
“It’s fine, he belongs to me.”  
  
Anders snorted, sounding unamused. Right. He “belonged” to Fenris.  
  
“Oh! I didn’t know! I never met anyone from the waters above. Nice to meet you, I’m Merrill!”  
  
Now this mermaid was definitely not like Fenris at all. Anders felt himself momentarily at a loss. “Uh… Anders. You’re another deep sea mer?”  
  
“Of course! There’s a lot of us, in fact! My clan is not far from here! I didn’t think I would meet you out here.”  
  
Fenris frowned. “And the song?”  
  
“That was me! Humming relaxes me and when I’m out. Come, I will introduce you to the others.” Merrill looked at Anders with a thoughtful expression, he head slightly tilted. “You can come with us, I suppose. It would be rude to leave you here. But I’m not sure that my clan will welcome you. We can be a bit… careful when it comes to outsiders.”  
  
Of course. Well, it was Anders’ own fault for not leaving, wasn’t it? He should have known that, if they ever found others of Fenris’ kind, they weren’t going to just welcome him too. But what other choice did he have? So he just shrugged and swam after them.  
  
It was a village. A village at the bottom of the ocean. The tents were not much different than those of Anders’ own kind, aside from stylistic choices. Whalebone and skin. Durable enough to withstand the harsh conditions for a while. He couldn’t see that much, however, except that all eyes were on him and Fenris. Though while they looked at Fenris with curiosity, they shot him withering glares. He should have known this would happen. Really, he should have been smart instead of blindly following a crush like a lovesick dolphin.  
  
Merrill stopped in front of an old woman who looked somewhat important. “Keeper Marethari! I bring you guests. This is Fenris, a traveler. He lost his memory and, not knowing where his people are, he came to us. And Anders… is his friend, I think?”  
  
Someone shouted. “What is the shemlen doing here?!” Anders noted that all of the mers here had a somewhat similar pattern of glowing lines, yet each of them was still unique. He frowned at the word he had never heard before.  
  
“What does “shemlen” mean?”  
  
Merrill giggled nervously. “Uhm, it’s… what we call your kind. You don’t want to know what it means.”  
  
The “Keeper” lifted a peaceful hand, seemingly to relax the situation. She gave Fenris and him a intent look, neither friendly nor unfriendly, simply patient. Then she nodded.  
  
“Welcome. I apologize for the reaction of my clan. We do not have good relations to your kind and try to stay away when we can. You don’t seem like you wish us any harm, however, so there is no reason to treat you with anything less than hospitality. As for you, my child, it is tragic what happened to you but you can stay as long as you like, until your memory returns or you find a new home here, with us.”  
  
Slowly, the glow on Anders’ skin vanished as it got harder and harder to sustain the glowing and the pressure spell at the same time. Though it wasn’t the only thing dying out. Had there been the tiniest ray of hope that he still had a chance with Fenris, it was now gone.  


* * *

  
  
Anders sat on the sand in the darkness, tired and hungry. Of course no one would want to sit near him while Fenris got a tour around the place. There couldn’t be that much to look at, even if you could see everything, right? If only he didn’t feel like an unwanted extra, he would have tried to get to know these people, too. They seemed nice enough… except when looking at him. It was Merrill who finally decided to keep him some company.  
  
“I brought you something! You seem like you need it.” She smiled while holding a fish in front of his face.  
  
“So, you guys do eat fish?”  
  
Merrill gave him a confused look. “Why wouldn’t we?”  
  
“Well, I thought… Fenris doesn’t like fish. And I had never seen a deep sea mer before. I guess I just assumed all of you don’t like fish.” Finally taking the fish, Anders dug in. It felt good to at least have something to eat.  
  
“Poor Fenris, there’s not much left to eat when you don’t like fish.”  
  
“Well, he likes to eat shellfish and crustaceans. With their shells and everything.”  
  
He heard a lighthearted giggle next to him. “Of course! The crunchy part is the best.”  
  
“Oh… so that one IS something you all do.”  
  
Anders sighed and finished his fish. Merrill seemed nice enough but he couldn’t stay here and only talk to one person while everyone else looked like they wanted to kill him in his sleep. He had seen enough of these looks to last him a lifetime. Besides, he didn’t want to impose, now that Fenris had finally found people he belonged to. There had never been a chance to begin with. He activated his glowing again and hoped that it would last him until he was farther up again.  
  
“Where are you going?”  
  
Merrill stared at him with big green eyes. They almost reminded him of Fenris’, even if the shade was a different one. And she didn’t look nearly as grumpy.  
  
“I… need to go. This place isn’t for me. I can see next to nothing down here and the pressure will eventually get to me once my magic runs out.”  
  
“Oh. Will you come back?”  
  
There was a clench in Anders’ chest. He needed to be strong now. He couldn’t cry in front of this girl and worry her.  
  
“No. Tell Fenris… tell him “may the tide be in your favor”. Is there a place I could go to? You know, where it isn’t quite as deep.”  
  
Merrill made a thinking noise, her brows furrowed. She pointed at what Anders thought had to be south. Who even knew down here?  
  
“The water gets shallower in that direction. Also, there’s a sunken ship. It’s really nice to look at! It’s only been there for a few months now. There had been a terrible storm an-“  
  
“Thank you. And good bye.”  
  
And with these words, Anders swam upwards and into the direction Merrill had pointed at.  


* * *

  
  
Merrill had been right about the ship and since Anders was curious by nature, he had decided to check it out. The upside of being on his own again was that he could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. And wasn’t that great? He had no idea where he was and to be honest, he really wanted to have people around him again – even if it was just patients – but perhaps, if he kept swimming he would find a village - a village of his own people – and could offer his services as a healer. Maybe he should have come out here much sooner. There wouldn’t be any hunters, right? Hopefully not. And if, no one knew him here, not yet.  
  
Anders glided around the ship slowly, taking in everything on the outside. It would take a while until the sea would claim this ship as hers but then it would be forever and the wood would give life to many small animals and plants. Like this, so naked and empty and almost as if landdwellers were still walking on it, it was a bit frightening. Who had this ship once belonged to? Pirates? Or perhaps unlucky explorers? Not that there was much of a difference between the two. Every mer knew that landdwellers only stole and destroyed, no matter who it was. Perhaps, he thought with a bitter heart, that was something deep sea mers thought about him and his people as well. Not that he knew why. He had never heard of a fight going on. Only that the mers of the deep were elusive and dangerous.  
  
Anders sighed. There was no use in thinking about it now. It would be best if he never came near any deep waters ever again.  
  
There was a hole in the side of the ship. It was big and looked like something had created that hole there, instead of it being a natural occurrence. Perhaps this ship had fought with another? They did that sometimes and often enough, it caused one or more to sink. It was always a spectacle, even if a bit dangerous to watch or get involved in. Anders had saved humans sometimes out of pity but had never actually tried to communicate with them or let them catch him. One had to draw the line somewhere.  
  
Just when he wanted to slip through the hole and explore the inside of the ship, he heard a distant voice. It sounded like his name. Looking up, Anders saw where it came from and frowned, quickly entering the ship, as if he would be able to escape Fenris that way. What was he even doing here?  
  
It was dark inside the ship, though not as dark as the deep had been. It was almost cozy. Anders swam along a corridor that ended with a half ajar door. Quickly slipping through, he closed the door behind him. Now it was completely dark and he activated his glowing. Being in a small, dark place was still incredibly uncomfortable but the alternative would be having to look at Fenris directly.  
  
“Anders?”  
  
Anders bit on his lip, forcing himself to stay quiet. Fenris was already very close. Of course. That guy was as quick as a cannonball. There was a press on the door and Anders pressed all his weight against it to keep it closed.  
  
“Anders? What’s the meaning of this? Why are you hiding? Why did you suddenly leave,” the voice on the other side of the door asked. An uncomfortable feeling spread in Anders’ stomach. Guilt.  
  
“Well, couldn’t I ask you the same thing?! What’s the meaning of this? Why did you suddenly become so cold? Why did you not talk to me anymore?! Is it because I’m a mage?! Because you think magic is dangerous and you can only be an evil slaver when you have it?! And that even though you can do this crazy thing where you stick your hand into people!”  
  
“So I was right. You truly think I’m a monster because of that ability.”  
  
What? WHAT?!  
  
Suddenly, the door flew open and Anders swam up right into Fenris face, using his size as an advantage for once to look imposing.  
  
“I never said that, you idiot! Why do you keep accusing me of thinking of you that way?!”  
  
Hearing these words, Fenris actually twitched, shrinking back as if stung. He looked positively guilty. “I saw the way you looked at me after we killed the slave hunters, so I assumed…”  
  
“Yeah well, you assumed wrong! Would I still be traveling with you if I thought that?! YOU were the one who started avoiding ME! I loved traveling with you! I loved watching the stars with you and dancing with you and telling you stories that would make those little wrinkles on your nose appear and… and.. and…” There was so much in Anders’ chest. He didn’t know what it was but it was overflowing, hurting, he had to get it out. “And I loved you! I haven’t been this happy since.. since… a very long time!”  
  
When he was done with his outburst, Anders folded in on himself, unable to look Fenris in the eyes any longer. His fins twitched nervously. Right now, wanted to be anywhere but here, honestly.  
  
“You… feel that way about me? Or is it… already…”  
  
“Of course not! Do you think such a thing leaves that quickly?” As soon as Anders looked up to give Fenris a heated glare, he realized that it wasn’t only him who was completely embarrassed.  
  
“I assumed… because you stopped flirting with me.”  
  
“What? I did that because I thought you were uncomfortable!”  
  
“I was. At first. Then, when it was gone, I missed it. But judging from the stories you told me, it seemed like you flirt with anyone, without serious intention.”  
  
Anders blinked. Her stared at Fenris in disbelief. So… everything had just been a giant misunderstanding?  
  
“Does that mean you-“ Anders had to swallow around a lump in his throat “feel something for me, too?”  
  
“I don’t- I have never felt such a thing. Not as long as I remember. But I know that yes, I- I feel something.” Fenris couldn’t look into Anders eyes while uttering these words. Like a young mer talking to their first crush. Cute.  
  
Anders grinned. “Shy, are we?”  
  
That made Fenris frown. “You will soon find that I’m not.”  
  
“Ohhhh, I can already imagine! I bet you’re a wild one and like to bite until I bleed and then you will take me hard and fast. But when I tell you that I love you, you will wriggle like a little fish, all flustered!”  
  
That seemed to be the cue Fenris had waited for because Anders suddenly found himself pressed to the wall, his lips, claimed. He made a surprised but happy noise and let Fenris do as he pleased, opening his mouth like the desperate loser he was. Well, perhaps he wasn’t that much of a loser anymore.  
  
His arms circled around Fenris’ slim body, pulling him as close as possible while his tail wrapped itself loosely around Fenris’ shorter one. Being this close, getting to feel so much of Fenris at once, it was amazing.  
  
Anders had been right about the biting, though perhaps it was a side effect of those sharp teeth. He had only touched them by accident and they had already pricked his tongue. How Fenris wasn’t constantly bleeding from his mouth was anyone’s guess.  
  
They broke the kiss but stayed in their embrace. Ander had a goofy smile on his face that soon turned somber when he remembered something.  
  
“We can’t stay together. I mean, you finally found your people and I don’t think they like me much.” He chuckled, though it sounded more sad than anything. “So perhaps you should return to them.”  
  
“They are not “my” people. They are of the same species but I believe that it’s still my own decision who I want to stay with.”  
  
Anders felt like overflowing again but this time it wasn’t a bad feeling. He could barely believe it. “So, that means-“  
  
He never had a chance to finish that sentence. Fenris’ kiss was sweet as it claimed him and carried him away to a place where there were no worries any longer.  
  
They only stopped to invite each other to a dance, a real courting dance this time.  
  
The cargo hold of the ship was barely big enough for two mers to dance in but they didn’t care, choosing it as their location anyway. A mating dance was close, after all.  
  
Anders smiled. He opened his lateral find in a graceful, fluid motion, presenting himself in all his beauty and giving Fenris the tiniest inviting wink. He felt touches, light as a kiss and traveling over his chest, his stomach and finally on his fins, making them shiver in anticipation.  
  
He touched Fenris, too, over his back and along the white lined that lit up where his fingers traveled. There wasn’t much light here but it was enough, enough to see, enough to feel.  
  
They circled each other, touching, exploring, it was slow and it was careful. This dance was about opening up and letting someone into your heart. It was a fragile balance of trust and desire. It was what set it apart from all the other dances. Not just passion and not just friendship, but something that combined these two things in harmony.  
  
They brushed their tails, they opened their arms just to close them again, holding, letting go, repeating many times. Each watched intently what the other did and tried not to be distracted by the beat of their own hearts. They kissed, for just a second, and danced again.  
  
It was then that the dance neared its end as they came closer and closer, each touch more desperate and longer than the last und until they twirled in an embrace and rubbed their bodies together.  
  
Anders let out a needy moan and they both knew that the dance had now turned into something hotter, something that was desire and need.  
  
Fenris latched onto Anders’ neck, kissing biting, littering the pale flesh with bruises and bite marks. Just as predicted. Anders grinded against Fenris in earnest now, wrapping his tail around the shorter one again and worked it like an eel wrapping around a pole. It made Fenris gasp and Anders proud of his skills.  
  
They could both feel the other harden. The pouch that kept their sexes hidden opened until both their erections were trapped between their writhing bodies.  
  
Ander could feel the need, not just his own, but Fenris’ as well. It had been too long. How he had ached for this. The bites on his neck gave him that incredible feeling between pleasure and pain and their hips rocking together created a delicious kind of friction.  
  
Fenris kissed him again, claimed ever bit of his mouth and Anders accepted, welcomed it even, though he couldn’t keep from pricking himself on Fenris’ sharp teeth again. Their mouths filled with the tangy taste of blood and he couldn’t decide if that was disgusting or hot.  
  
Fenris steered them a little until he could press Anders into the cargo hold’s floor. The wood pressed into his back and he arched upwards, against Fenris, for more friction. That was when the deep sea mer turned the tables, wrapping his tail around Anders’ and squeezing.  
  
Anders gasped and cursed as the feeling of being squeezed like that traveled all the way up his spine as well as into his dick. He loved that feeling.  
  
“Oh, please, Fenris, more!”  
  
Squeezing someone’s tail was a sign of dominance. Anders loved the feeling and Fenris was so incredibly strong. He had never been squeezed so intensely! Though he didn’t want to just lie down and take it, either.  
  
And adventurous hand sneaked between their bodies and took hold of both cocks at once before it started stroking with a strong grip and long motions. Fenris’ breath hitched. He paused for a moment and even lightened his grip before squeezing even harder.  
  
Neither of them lasted long, not this time. Fenris leaned in for a final kiss as the pressure in Anders’ abdomen became too much and he tumbled over the edge, releasing a white cloud into the water. Fenris followed just a moment later.  
  
For a few moments they didn’t move. They looked at each other fondly, basking in the afterglow. Anders was, of course, the first to talk again.  
  
“So, now that we don’t really have a goal anymore, what will we do?”  
  
“We will… just keep swimming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big big biiiig thanks to everyone who commented! I was so happy about how much feedback this story received! I love you all so much and hope that I will be able to write many more things that will make people happy!


End file.
